The Management of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital Osogbo has issued a medical advisory to its staff so as to mitigate the spread of the pandemic into the hospital community. The directives and guidelines are to complement those already circulated by the NCDC and Osun State government.
In a release signed and made available to Daily Mail by the Public Relations Officer of the hospital Ayodele Adeyemo, the advisory issued by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Dr Babatunde Afolabi said the guidelines became urgently important in view of the fact that it has been noticed, worldwide, that health workers and other frontline officers are also victims.
According to the release, Dr. Afolabi said Staff in the hospital should view the hospital as another community where the virus can easily spread just like any other environment.
It however states that the Management of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital Osogbo wants all its staff to take note and adhere to the following precautions both in the office and their respective homes:
1.Henceforth, Staff, visitors and people coming for services in the hospital MUST wear facemasks appropriately and compulsorily in offices and around the hospital. This will be strictly enforced.
2. Staff should limit social interaction and stay more at their duty posts: avoid undue visit to colleagues across departments, offices and wards. *Staff are warned to stay at their posts.
3. Avoid “gisting” in groups during office hours.
4. Sectional Heads are advised to rotate their staff in a creative and practical manner to reduce risk of intra hospital transmission.
5. Where and If possible, leave your office door open to limit/avoid contamination by hands.
6. Regularly, disinfect your hands and office tables and other surfaces.
7. You are your best security. *Trust no one, even your colleagues and Superior Officers*
8. Do not allow anyone help you with your personal effects like your bags, files, phones etc
9.Anytime you make contact with a material from another staff, office or ward, you should sanitize your hands.
10. Do not touch anything as much as possible. Apply the *no contact principle.* Avoid leaning on walls, tables, chairs etc.
11. Use your own tools: pens, stethoscope etc as much as possible.
12. COVID-19 IS REAL AND DANGEROUS. Educate others especially the doubting Thomases.
13..When not on duty, *apply the same cautions at home.* as there’s no advantage in being careful at work and then catching COVID-19 from outside the workplace and later become a vendor of the virus into an otherwise clean environment.
Dr. Afolabi however warned staff of the hospital to observe COVID-19 control guidelines of wearing of face masks, physical social distancing, frequent hands washing and sanitanizing and such other healthy living behavior”.
It is hoped that these advisories and guidelines are adaptable to other individuals and organisations.
